This application generally relates to an oil separator for separating oil from refrigerant gas in a chiller system. This application relates more specifically to a cylindrical oil separator for a chiller system having a non-circular outlet pipe located in the cylinder.
In general, a refrigeration, air conditioning, or chiller system has a compressor to compress a refrigerant gas, a condenser to condense the compressed gas to a refrigerant liquid, an expansion valve to reduce the pressure of the refrigerant liquid, and an evaporator to evaporate the refrigerant liquid by absorbing heat from a fluid, which fluid is then chilled to provide refrigeration or air conditioning capacity. There are various types of compressors used in a chiller system, such as screw, reciprocating, centrifugal, and scroll compressors. Typically, a compressor uses lubricant, such as oil, to lubricate and to provide better sealing performance between mating parts in certain types of compressors, such as screw compressors. Inevitably, oil used in a compressor becomes mixed with refrigerant gas, and a mixture of oil and refrigerant gas is carried from the compressor to the condenser and evaporator.
However, oil does not have favorable heat-transfer characteristics, and oil that has traveled into the condenser and the evaporator reduces the efficiency of a chiller system. Furthermore, if oil that has traveled from the compressor to the other parts of the chiller system is not returned to the compressor, more oil must be added to the chiller system to maintain the compressor performance, or the lack of oil may cause the compressor to fail. In large chiller systems, several gallons of oil per minute may be required to circulate with compressed refrigerant gas in the compressor to lubricate and seal compressor components.
In an effort to alleviate these problems, an oil separator is often employed between a compressor and a condenser in a chiller system. An oil separator separates the oil from the refrigerant gas in an oil and refrigerant gas mixture from the compressor. The oil separator discharges the refrigerant gas to the condenser and returns the separated oil to the compressor.
Intended advantages of oil separator systems and/or methods disclosed herein satisfy one or more needs or provide other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification, the teachings of which extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.